Eastern Star Church to Withdraw Demolition Request for Historic Indianapolis Church
The 113-year-old former St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church on the old Martin University campus will stand for now while the congregation talks with preservationists.
INDIANAPOLIS —
Eastern Star Church has agreed to withdraw its request to tear down the former St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church, a 113-year-old building on the old Martin University campus on Indianapolis' east side, Mirror Indy reported Oct. 21.
Howard Stevenson, a lawyer for Eastern Star, told Mirror Indy the church is working with the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission and Indiana Landmarks toward an “amicable resolution.” He said the church has “decided to hold off on proceeding with demolition” for now.
Eastern Star bought the former campus in May, after Martin University closed at the end of 2025, and renamed it the ROCK Impact Center. A contractor filed for a wrecking permit on Aug. 7. The city's Historic Preservation Commission then voted to give the church building historic status, which put the demolition on hold.
The Metropolitan Development Commission must still approve the historic designation and a preservation plan. It had planned to vote Oct. 21, but requests from the city and Eastern Star pushed the vote to its Nov. 18 meeting. Meg Busch, who runs the city's Historic Preservation Commission, said the delay gives time to finish an assessment of the building.
St. Francis de Sales parish was founded in 1881, and the current building went up in 1913. The church and its school served east side families for more than a century before the parish closed in 1983. The Archdiocese of Indianapolis has said the closing was largely due to falling membership tied to the building of Interstate 70.
Martin University moved into the building in 1987 and for years used it as its performing arts center, according to the city's preservation plan. The next public step is the Metropolitan Development Commission's Nov. 18 meeting.
